Midtown Global Market
Artist-In-Residence Program

Throughout the year, the Midtown Global Market will welcome six different local artists, each for a two-month residency. At the Market, they can create and display their work within the vibrant and culturally rich environment. Each artist will also host a free, public Workshop to experience,

This program is supported by the City of Minneapolis Cultural District Arts Fund and is designed to enhance community engagement through the arts, promote cultural diversity and contribute to the economic vitality of the area. 

Midtown Global Market recognizes that many artists balance their work with other employment, so we offer flexibility in scheduling to meet their needs. Our goal is to create a meaningful experience not only for the public, but also for the artists we support.

The goals of this Program are to:

Provide artists with space and resources to develop their work.

Foster cultural exchange and engagement between artists and the Midtown community.

Inspire community participation in art through workshops and interactive events.

2025 Midtown Global Market Resident Artist schedule:

· Artist #1  January  3 - February 28 Workshop Sat. February 22, 2025

· Artist #2 March 1- April 30                                         Workshop    Sat. April 19, 2025

· Artist #3 May 1- June 30                                                   Workshop    Sat. June 7, 2025

· Artist #4 July 1- August 30                   Workshop    Sat. August 9, 2025

· Artist #5 September 1- October 31                                    Workshop    Sat. October 4, 2025    

· Artist #6 November 1- December 31                                 Workshop    Sat. December 13, 2025

Artist Space at Midtown Global Market is a 275 sq. foot semi-private area made available as a FREE and safe workspace. The goal for the space is to host artist(s) where they can work and share the inspiration and progress of their art with the community.

Artists will secure the space by completing a brief online application at MidtownGlobalMarket.org.

Meeting the basic criteria and availability will determine eligibility. The space will be open for amateurs, students, non-profit groups and professional artists.

Register today to join the August free community Artist Residency Workshop. Click Here

June 23-August 31,2025 Ron Brown

Ron Brown’s 35 year + artistic journey began early, shaped by imagination and experiences. Art is a limitless universe. Ron’s work is a testament; creativity should be expansive, multidimensional, and reflective. This philosophy guides his process and purpose. Ron relocated from Gary to Minnesota with dreams of attending the Perpich Center for Arts, a renowned art school. Barriers prevented Ron from enrolling, leading him to Roosevelt High. Ron immersed himself in art, cultivating his skills and vision. Ron’s pursuit of art led him to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, a premier institution for creative development. While SAIC proved valuable he returned to the Twin Cities with a desire to reconnect with community, ground himself in an evolving cultural space, and create art connected to engagement and cultural storytelling. Ron remains involved in the local art scene, hosting community events, art performances, cultural festivals, and exhibitions. His artistic practice, rooted in Afrofuturism (a movement blending African culture with science fiction and speculative future), uses art as a tool for cultural affirmation, historical reflection, and spiritual resistance. Ron’s work highlights the beauty, depth, and resilience of Blackness and the African diaspora. Ron reimagines futures informed by ancestral knowledge, pain, triumph, and creativity. “My art is my sword, and my tongue is my shield,” phrase describing his work serving as protection and empowerment.

January 3 - Feb 28, 2025 Naomi Tiry Salgado
Naomi’s Art: tirysalgado.com

Artist Statement: I’m in love with the rush of painting en plein air. There’s something magical about being on location, where the landscape, light, and energy all collide. The sensory overload of nature—the wind tugging at my hat, the sun on my arms, the hum of insects, and the passersby—transforms the act of painting into an adventure. It’s a race against time, trying to capture the light and mood of the scene before it shifts. I dedicate my summers to this fast-paced, thrilling practice, where every brushstroke is infused with the excitement of the outdoors.

As the seasons shift, so does my work. When the weather turns cold, I often retreat to the studio, where I continue my journey of experimentation. I view my studio practice as a fusion of science and art, an ongoing investigation into the natural world. I’m endlessly fascinated by the intricacies and factoids of physics, chemistry, biology, and psychology. I explore these phenomena in my work, using my canvases as a laboratory to test ideas and push boundaries.

One concept that caught my attention last winter was Gamut Masking, a technique of painting with a restricted color palette to create mood and color harmony within the painting. This experimentation didn’t stay in the studio—it bled into my plein air practice as well, and many of the pieces I created this summer were painted with just three carefully chosen colors plus white.

I love the freedom and surprise that come with experimenting—whether it’s composing with the Golden Ratio, treating oil paint like watercolor, or using underpainting to solve visual problems. Each new concept I explore reshapes my work, yet, interestingly, I hear from collectors and colleagues alike that they still recognize my artistic voice in the final piece. There’s a consistent thread throughout my work, even as it continues to evolve.

Every year brings new discoveries, new techniques, and new insights. And every painting is an experiment.  I invite you to join me on this journey of exploration where science, nature, and art intersect.

November 1-31, 2024  Becca David
Becca's Art: https://beccadavidartist.com/
Becca believes that art is a dialogue between the maker and viewer; when engaging with art the observer becomes a participant in the narrative, thus creating a shared safe space for dialogue. Becca paints primarily in watercolor and acrylics using linear elements within her work to explore rhythmic patterns inspired by music and her environment. Her latest mixed media body of work incorporates discarded materials and elements of her past work.

Becca David is a member of ACW, NEMAA and the Teaching Artists Guild. She plays percussion with Brass Solidarity, sings with the Capri Glee, volunteers for The Art Shoppe at the Midtown Global Market, and is the Inclusive Community Coordinator for Showing with the St. Paul Saints for The Show Gallery. She holds both a Bachelor of Art and in Fine Art and a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Waynesburg University of Pennsylvania.

September 1- October 31, 2024   Gustavo Boada
Gustavo is a theater-based multidisciplinary artist. An accomplished storyteller, his professional theater practice has taken him to Peru, Chile, Puerto Rico, as well as within the United States to New York, Vermont, and Pennsylvania. A Heart of the Beast legacy artist, he created countless puppets for the spectacular Powderhorn Park May Day parades in Minneapolis. Along with Julie Boada, he founded The Little Coyote Puppet Theater as an expression of their love and dedication towards creating and performing puppet shows that connect children of all ages with ancestral wisdom and culture.

July 19- August 18, 2024   Dayja Owens
Minneapolis-based artist Dayja Owens is a mom of three and wife to professional boxer Veshawn Owens. She's been painting for five years and finds serenity in creating acrylic art. Dayja founded Art Spring LLC to share her passion through art programs and custom pieces. She also volunteers to teach art in schools and summer programs. "I draw inspiration from current trends and Afro art styles to fuel my creativity. I am constantly seeking new and beautiful avenues for expression and growth."

See her work: https://www.instagram.com/artistryvibes00/

April 1 -27, 2024  Mahogany Mahogany on Facebook
I am an expressionist artist known as Megan “Mahogany” Jackson. I am a transplant from SC. I moved to MN in 2021. I have always had a gift for art, whether dancing, writing, singing, acting, or drawing. I was never into painting and began painting in 2020 as an outlet for my anxiety and panic attacks. I loved the effects of painting so much that I took my painting from hobby to a business. I founded Picasso Meg LLC in 2020. I teach acrylic pour art classes in the community, I create my own unique art pieces, and also commissions.

February 17-March 30 Heart of the Beast Puppet & Mask Theater

January 22-February 17 Megan Moore https://www.meganmoore.com/

Nov & Dec 2023 Gustavo Boada

October 2023 Anton Vasquez

August 2023 Edgar Camargo

Availability: Approximately (2) months pending project & reservations

Time: Normal Market hours Mon-Sat 10am-8pm, Sun 11am-6pm

Type: Semi-private space

Visual: Open to public viewing during Market hours.

Security: Unsecured space within secured Market.

Size: 11’ x 25’ – (Pole is within the space)

Height: 10’+

Floor: Concrete

Sink: Water & janitorial access

Electricity: Available

Noise: Medium+

Loading dock: Yes

Cost: FREE thru brief application process.

Restroom: Public Market

Supplies: Provided by artist/group
*Some restrictions apply

Location: Midtown Global Market 920 E. Lake Street, Minneapolis, MN 55407

Contact: Matt Tell mtell@thefogm.org